THE EFFECT OF USING FOUR SQUARE WRITING METHOD ON STUDENTS WRITING SKILL Juitania1, Hanif Pujiati2, Yanti Suryanti3

ABSTRAK Skripsi yang berjudul The Effect of Using Four Square Writing Method on Students Writing Skill ini bertujuan untuk meneliti apakah four square writing dapat mempengaruhi kemampuan menulis siswa dalam menulis teks analytical exposition. Penelitian ini dilakukan terhadap siswa kelas XI SMA PLUS PGRI Cibinong. Peneliti menggunakan proportional random sampling dengan menggunakan dua kelas dari jurusan IPS dan mengambil 70 siswa sebagai sampel penelitian. Dalam melaksanakan penelitiannya, peneliti menggunakan metode true experimental dan model pre-test post-test control group. Kelompok pertama dalam penelitian ini dijadikan sebagai kelompok eksperimen yang diajar dengan menggunakan metode four square writing dan kelompok kedua sebagai kelompok kontrol diajar dengan menggunakan mind mapping. Pada awal proses penelitian, peneliti memberikan pre test pada kedua kelompok; kelompok eksperimen dan kontrol, dilanjutkan dengan memberikan empat kali perlakuan terhadap kedua kelompok dan memberikan post test untuk kedua kelompok pada akhir proses penelitian. Peneliti memberikan tes menulis teks analytical exposition untuk mengukur kemampuan menulis siswa. Data hasil penelitian dianalisa dengan menggunakan rumus t-test dan peneliti mendapatkan 5.60, dengan derajat kebebasan 68, nilai tabel distribusi t pada signifikan t0.05 sebesar 2.39 dan t0.01 sebesar 1.67. Karena hasil perhitungan dengan menggunakan t-hitung lebih besar daripada t-tabel (5.60 > 2.39 > 1.67), maka hipotesis alternatif diterima. Jadi dapat disimpulkan bahwa penerapan metode four square writing dapat mempengaruhi kemampuan menulis siswa dalam menulis teks analytical exposition dalam segi content, vocabulary, dan language use. Kata kunci: Metode Four Square Writing, Kemampuan Menulis, Data Hasil Penelitian ABSTRACT The research entitled The Effect of Using Four Square Writing Method on Students Writing Skill has an aim at investigating whether four square writing method can affect students writing skill in writing analytical exposition text. The research was conducted to the eleventh grade students of SMA PLUS PGRI Cibinong. In conducting the research, the researcher uses proportional random sampling by taking two classes majoring social studies; she takes 70 students as the sample. The researcher applies true experimental method and uses pre-test post-test control group as the design. The first group as experimental group taught by four square writing method and the second group as control group taught by mind mapping. She gave pre test to both experimental and control groups at the beginning, four times treatments and post test at the end of the term. The researcher gave analytical exposition writing test to measure students writing skill. The data were analyzed using t-test formula. From the calculation, she finds that the t-test value is 5.60, the value of the degree of freedom (df) is 68, and the list of value in t 0.05 level of significant is 2.39 and in t 0.01 of significant is 1.67. Since t-calculated is higher than t-table (5.60 > 2.39 > 1.67), it means that the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted. So, it can be concluded that the use of four square writing method affects students writing skill of analytical exposition text in term of content, vocabulary, and language use. Keywords: Four Square Writing Method, Writing skill, Data analyzing

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Student of English Education Study Program FKIP UNPAK Lecturer of English Education Study Program FKIP UNPAK 3 Lecturer of English Education Study Program FKIP UNPAK

I.

INTRODUCTION The students often face some problems such as they feel confused to produce a good paragraph and assume that writing is boring, because sometimes they are not able to continue writing their ideas in the middle of their writing process. They are caused by the uninteresting teaching activity given by the teacher. In this case, the teacher should be able to create the creative activity and enjoyable situation in the classroom to attract and increase students motivation in learning writing. Four square writing is one of methods that can solve the students problems. In this case the researcher intends to prove the effect of using four square writing methods on students writing skill. She will investigate how four square writing can be used to support the learning process effectively. Therefore, she assumes that four square writing can build the students motiva tion up to love writing. Four square is a simple graphic organizer to guide students to organize their thought or plan before they write a complete paragraph that consists of main idea, supporting details, and conclusion. So, four square writing is useful to solve students problem in writing. Based on the background of the research, the question is formulated as follows: Does four square writing method affect the students writing skill ? Writing is a basic language skill, just as important as listening speaking, and reading. Moreover, it has an important role in teaching English, and it is one of productive skills in which students are able to produce language themselves. According to Brown (2001:335) ...writing has produced writing pedagogy that focuses students on how generate ideas, how to organize them coherently, how to use discourse markers and rhetorical conventions to put them cohesively into a written text, how to revise text for clearer meaning, how to edit text for appropriate grammar, and how to produce a final product. It means that writing is an activity which takes time to explore the ideas or thoughts into words and compose them into a good writing. The students have to follow the whole of writing process in order to create the meaningful writing.

II. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. The Aim of the Research The aim of the research is to investigate the effect of using four square writing method on students writing skill B. Time of the Research The research is conducted at SMA PLUS PGRI Cibinong and it is done for six meetings. It is started on December 3rd, 2012 and finished on January 18th, 2013. C. Population and Sample In this research, the researcher takes the 11 th grade students of SMA PLUS PGRI Cibinong as the population. The total number of students is 458 students; which is divided into ten classes. She uses proportional random sampling by taking 15% of the population so she gets as many as 70 students as the sample and they are put into two groups and she takes two classes of IPS major. D. Research Method and Design The researcher uses True Experimental method in conducting the research, and takes two groups as her sample. The first group is experimental group given four square writing treatment, and the second group is control given mind mapping treatment. For the design the researcher applies Pre-test Post-test Control Group design to prove four square writing method can affect students writing skill.

The design is as follows: G1 G2 O1 X O2 G1 = group 1, G2 = group 2, O1 = pre-test, O2 = post-test, X = Treatments

O 1 X O2

There are two groups in the research; G1 is experimental group that is given four times treatments by using four square writing techniques. G2 is control group that is given four times treatments by using mind mapping. There are two tests; pre test and post test. First, the researcher gives pre test to both of groups; the students have to write an analytical exposition text in collecting data of students writing skill before giving the treatments. Second, she gives treatments to both experimental and control groups, and after that both of groups are given the post test to write an analytical exposition text. Furthermore, the researcher uses the ESL (English Second Language) composition profile taken from Reid (1993: 236 237) for assessing the students writing. Finally, the researcher calculates the result of pre-test and post-test scores by using T-test formula, and compares the result of test both experimental group and control group test to prove whether there is significant effect of using four square writing on students writing skill. III. THEORETICAL FOUNDATION A. The Nature of Writing 1. Definition of Writing Writing is a basic language skill, just as important as listening speaking, and reading. Writing has an important role in teaching English, it is one of productive skills in which students are able to produce language themselves. Students have to explore their ideas and compose them into visible as writing product. Moreover, Irmscher (1987:20) says, We need more words to select from, more combinations, and more strategies. It means that writing requires a mature ability in thinking to use language; in writing the students are forced to choose the appropriate word and using the correct structure for organizing the ideas into paragraph. According to Irmscher (1987:20) writing is a greater challenge to the im agination than talking. It means that writing is more effective to increase students creativity in figuring out their thought than speaking. So, in writing the students must be able to focus on the process of writing that leads to the final written product. The students have to develop their ideas and transform their thoughts into words, and also they have to consider about coherent organization before they produce the final product. It can be concluded that writing is an activity which takes time to explore the ideas or thoughts into words and compose them into a good writing. The students have to follow the whole of writing process in order to create the meaningful writing. 2. The Process of Writing The process of writing consists of stages that represent the way the writers composing a written text. There are some stages in producing a good writing text. According to Harmer (2004:2) there are four main elements, namely: Planning Drafting Editing Final draft

3. The Purpose of Writing Understanding the connection between the writer and the audience is essential for good writing, because the writer has many different reasons, purposes, and audiences. Reid

(1994: 2) concludes that a good writer must be able to indentify for whom he or she is writing, in order to the purpose of paragraph will become clearer and the communication with the audience will be more successful. So, understanding the connection between the writer and the audience is essential for creating a good writing. As Reid (1994:2) mentions there are three purposes of writing, as follows: a. To inform: It means that the writers give the information about what the writers write about to the readers. b. To explain. It means that writers interpret about something to the readers clearly. c. To amuse the audience. It means that the writers hold the readers attention pleasantly, and feel entertained through reading the writing. According to Harmer (2004:4), ...writing is used for a wide variety of purposes it is produced in many different forms. It means that there are many kind of text types in writing, and every text types has their own communicative purpose. Kemper et al (1994:62) mention there are four kinds of paragraph, they are: a. Descriptive A descriptive paragraph describes a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. When the writers write descriptive paragraph, they should use words that help their readers see, hear, smell, taste, and feel what they are describing. The writers should tell their readers what colors things are, how big things are, what things sound like, etc. The readers should feel as if they are right there with the writers. b. Narrative In narrative paragraph, the writers tell a story by sharing the details of an experience. A narrative paragraph should pull the readers into the story and keep them wondering what will happen next. It is important to conclude a lot of colourful details to make the experience come alive.

c.

Persuasive A persuasive paragraph gives the writers opinion on the topic and tries to get the reader to agree with it. When the writers write a persuasive paragraph, the writers should give facts and examples to back up their opinions. Expository The main purpose of an expository paragraph is to give information about topic. It may explain ideas, give directions, or show how to do something. An expository paragraph uses transition words (such as first, second, and most importantly). These words help guide the reader through the explanation. Expository paragraph is also called exposition text which has a purpose to give information about something happen to the readers. According to Legget et al (1988:334), the purpose of exposition is to inform, to explain, to clarify to make readers know or understand something about a subject. Based on the definition above there are two kinds of exposition text; hortatory exposition text and analytical exposition text.

d.

e.

Analytical Exposition Exposition text is a text that gives point of view about topic and information or persuades the reader or listener about phenomenon as Sudarwati (2007:116) says, Exposition text is to persuade by presenting arguments and to analyze or explain how and why. Analytical exposition has some stages; thesis, arguments, reiteration.

1. Thesis 2. Arguments

3. Reiteration

: Introduce topic and indicate the authors point of view which lead to the outlines about the main arguments to be presented. : This part called as body of the text. It is divided into two parts, they are point and elaboration. In point, the writer restates the main arguments. Whereas, elaboration is presented to develop and support each point or argument. : In this part the writer restates and wraps up the information which has been presented in the body of the text.

Table 2.1 The Example of Analytical Exposition Text Cars should be banned Cars should be banned in the city. As we all know, cars create pollution, and cause a lot of road deaths and other accidents. Firstly, cars, as we all know contribution to the most of the pollution in the world. Cars emit a deadly gas that causes illness such as bronchitis, lung cancer, and triggers off asthma. Some of these illnesses are so bad that people can die from them. Secondly, the city is very busy. Pedestrians wander everywhere and cars commonly hit pedestrians in the city, which causes them to die. Cars today are our roads biggest killers. Thirdly, cars are very noisy. If you live in the city, you may find it hard to sleep at night, or concentrate on your homework, and especially talk to someone. In conclusion, cars should be banned from the city for the reason listed. Thesis

Argument 1

Argument 2

Argument 3

Reiteration

Source: Board of Studies New South Wales, English K-6 Modules (2001:254) A. Four Square Writing Four square writing is used for teaching basic writing skills that is applicable across grade levels and curriculum areas. It is a simplified graphic organizer for teaching writing to students in school. It can be applied for the narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive paragraph and essay of writing. Four square writing is prewriting and organizational skills taught by using a graphic organizer consisting of four outside squares. This visual and kinesthetic aid help students to focus on their writing, provide details, and enhance word choice. The topic or topic sentence goes into centre of the organizer, while three supporting ideas or sentences go into three of the outside squares. Finally, a wrap up sentence concludes the final box of the organizer. Students can learn to write properly structured paragraphs with a topic sentence and conclusion at a very early stage, and the four square is used throughout the grade school years. Students can write well developed compositions of five or more paragraphs, complete with introductory and concluding paragraph. Four square writing has some characteristics, as follows: 1. Using step by step approach Step by step approach is used to make the learning systematic in order to the students make composition well structured, four square writing can be published by the writing processes, they are: a. Brainstorming : generating ideas

b. c. d. e.

Organizing Drafting Revising Editing capitals

: four square writing : rough or first draft : revision of content and style :editing for surface features, punctuation, spelling,

2.

Using graphic organizer A graphic organizer is a way of structuring information or arranging important aspects of a concept or top into a pattern using labels. The squares are numbered 1 5. The visual organizers help students to conceptualize, understand, and structure a piece of written successfully. It also makes students not to feel bored. Figure 2.1

Paragraph 2
Paragraph 1

Paragraph 3

(topic sentence become introductory paragraph)

Paragraph 4

Paragraph 5 (concluding paragraph)

Four Square Writing Organizer

IV. RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION A. Research Finding The researcher analyzed the data to find out the result of pre-test and post-test from the effect of four square writing method on students writing skill. T -test formula is used for analyzing the data. In experimental group, the pre-test and post-test are presented as X1 and X2, while in control group, the pre-test and post-test are presented as Y1 and Y2. 1. Pre-test and Post-test of the Experimental Group Table 4.1 shows the result of the pre-test and post-test who are taught by four square writing. Table 4.1 Pre-test and Post-test of Experimental Group (X) Respondent 1 2 3 4 5 Pre-test 40,5 39 45,5 39 40 Post-test 69 62,5 65,75 62,25 62,25 X2 X1 28,5 23,5 20,25 23,25 22,25 X2 812,25 552,25 410,06 552,25 4950,06

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

39 53 40 45 55 59,5 39 53 45,5 69,5 49,5 50,5 58 50 42,5 60 48,5 51 49,5 43,5 56 50,5 37 37 52,5 44,5 49,5

70 74,5 60 67 67,25 64,5 60,5 74,25 66,75 70 65,5 69,5 67,25 64,5 62,5 73 62,5 67,75 68 66,75 70,25 61,5 63,75 60,5 68 57,5 65,5

31 14,5 20 22 12,25 5 21,5 21,25 21,25 0,5 16 19 9,25 14,5 20 13 14 16,75 18,5 23,25 14,25 11 26,75 23,5 15,5 13 16

961 210,25 400 484 150,06 25 462,25 451,56 451,56 0,25 256 361 85,56 210,25 400 169 196 280,56 342,25 540,56 203,06 121 715,56 552,25 240,25 169 256

33 34 35 N = 35

37 37 37 1643,5

66,25 68,5 61,5 2307

29,25 31,5 24,5 656,5

855,56 992,25 600,25

2=

18419,16

2. Pre-test and Post-test of Control Group Table 4.2 shows the result of the pre-test and post-test who are taught by mind mapping. Table 4.2 Pre-test and Post Test Control Group (Y) Respondent 1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Pre-test 42 48 58,5 62 42,5 57,5 42 49,5 55,5 45 55,5 43 54,5 39,5 49,5 53,5 50 52,5 Post-test 55 65 60 64 58 60 50 55,5 60 55,5 60 48,5 55 45 55 57 55 54 Y2-Y1 3 23 1,5 2 15,5 2,5 8 6 0,5 10,5 0,5 5,5 0,5 5,5 0,5 3,5 5 1,5 Y2 9 529 2,25 4 240,25 6,25 64 36 0,25 110,25 0,25 30,25 0,25 30,25 0,25 12,25 25 2,25

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

48,5 71,5 57,5 56 52,5 56 59 61 43 51,5 49,5 46 43 39,5 43,5 56,5

55 72 58 61,5 58 60 61,5 65 45,5 52 52 55 45 56 55 60

6,5 0,5 0,5 5,5 5,5 4 2,5 4 2,5 0,5 2,5 9 2 16,5 11,5 3,5

42,25 0,25 0,25 30,25 30,25 16 6,25 16 6,25 0,25 6,25 36 4 272,25 132,25 12,25
2=

=1735

1924

172

1713

The researcher used T-test formula to compare the two means between experimental and control groups. Before processing the data into formula, she had to get the mean and standard deviation of X and Y and after that she put into the T-test formula, as follows: [

][

M: mean of each group N: number of the subject X: deviation of each score from X2 and X1 Y: deviation of each score from Y2 and Y1 Then, this is the data calculation.

3.

Mean After collecting the data the researcher calculated the mean score of experimental and control group. Mx is coded as the experimental group, and My is coded as control group as follows: Mx =

= 18.75

My =

= 4.91

4.

Standard Deviation The standard deviation is calculated by symbolizing the experimental group as x 2 and control group as y2 as follows: ( )

= 18419.16 = 18419.16 = 18419.16

12317.81 = 6101.35

( )

= 1713 = 1713 = 1713 5. 845.25 = 867.75

T- test Value After the researcher got the mean and standard deviation of experimental and control group, she put in the t- test formula. The calculation is as follows: [ 18.7 [ [

][ 4.91 ][

][

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6. Hypothesis Testing To get the value of the t- table, the researcher finds the degrees of freedom by using the following formula. The calculation is: df = ( ) =( ) 8

B. DISCUSSION From the calculation above, the researcher finds that the result of the t-test formula is 5.60. The value of the degree of freedom (df) is 68. the value in t 0.05 level of significance t table is 2.39, and in t 0.01 of significance is 1.67. It can be concluded that tcalculated is higher than t-table (5.60 > 2.39 > 1.67). It means that there is a significant effect of using four square writing method on students writing skill. In conducting the research, the researcher found some problems. The problems came from both the teacher and the students. While the researcher was conducting the research there were many students who denied and complained if they are asked to write an analytical exposition text, and the teacher together with the students who sat in the back row made side conversation in the middle of learning process. Those problems were inhibited the implementation of the four square writing method. Hence, there are one step of the four square writing method which could not be applied properly in the research. Nevertheless, all those steps of four square writing method could still affect students writing skill to write analytical exposition text in term of content, vocabulary, and language use in English Second Language (ESL) of composition profile. So, by applying the four square writing method make the students are used to writing a text systematically. V. CONCLUSION After conducting the research about The Effect of Using Four Square Writing Method on Students Writing Skill, the researcher concludes that teaching writing through four square writing has a positive effect on students writing skill to write a text. It is seen by the result of t- calculated (5.60) which is higher than t-table value of t 0.05 2.36 and t 0.01 1.66 with df 68. Thus, alternative hypothesis is accepted. The result of the research shows that the students who are taught by four square writing get better score than who are taught by mind mapping. It can be concluded that four square writing method has been successfully enough implemented as an interesting method to teach writing, and it could affect students writing skill in term of content, vocabulary and language use in English Second Language (ESL) of composition profile. Through four square writing the students feel fun and the class atmosphere is more attractive because before the students started to write, the teacher gave brainstorming to lead their mind to the topic which wanted to learn. So there is good interaction between student and the teacher. Therefore, four square writing is able to be one of the new alternative method to make the students love to write. The goal of the research is to increase writing skill through step by step. In this case, writing is one of difficult skill because the students have to combine 5 elements of writing; content, vocabulary, language use, organization, and mechanic. If the students combine and apply all those elements well, they can improve their writing skill.

VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY Arikunto, Suharsimi. 2006. Prosedur Penelitian:Suatu Pendekatan Praktek . Bandung: Pustaka Jaya.

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Brown, H Douglas. 2000. Principle of Language Learning and Teaching 4th edition, Englewood cliff. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regent. Brown, H. Douglas. 2001. Teaching by Principle: an Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (Second Edition). New York: Longman. Emzir. 2008. Metodologi Penelitian Pendidikan: Kuantitatif dan Kualitatif . Jakarta: PT Raja Grafindo Persada. Gould, Gould and Mary F. Burke. (2010). Four Square Writing Method. Dayton: A Lorenz Company. Gallo, Joseph D., Rink, Henry W. 1968. Shaping College Writing. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World Inc. Harmer, Jeremy. 2004. How to Teach Writing. Saffron Waldon, Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Irmscher, William F. 1987. Teaching Expository Writing. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Inc. Kemper, Dave, Ruth Nathan, and Patrick Sebranek. 1984. Writers Express. Winconsin: Write Source Educational Publishing House. Legget, Glenn, David C. Mead, and Melinda G. Kramer. 1988. Handbook for Writers (Tenth Edition). New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc. NN. 2001. English K-6 Modules. Sydney New South Wales: Board of Studies New South Wales. Orr, Janet K. (1999). Growing Up with English. Newyork: United States Department of States. Reid, Joy M. 1994. The Process of Paragraph Writing (Second Edition). New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents. VII. BIOGRAPHY Juitania was born on July, 4th 1990 in Jakarta. She started her study when she was six years old in 1st Elementary School (SDN 05 Gunung Putri, Bogor) and graduated in 2002. She continued her study to SMPN 1 Citeureup, In 2005 she continued her study to SMA PLUS PGRI Cibinong. After finishing her study in 2008, she decided to continue her study to Pakuan University, Bogor. She majors at English Education Study Program, Faculty of Teachers Training and Educational Sciences, Pakuan University. She started to conduct the research on August, 2013 and on February, 9th 2013 she graduates as a Bachelor of Education.

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